


Exchanges

by fuzzybatbutts



Series: Lessons To Be Learned [17]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: AMAB Bloodhound (Apex Legends), Alzheimer's Disease, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BUCKLE UP BITCHES WE GOIN' ON A JOURNEY, Bloodhound Headcanons (Apex Legends), Bottom Mirage | Elliott Witt, Caretaking, Chronic Illness, Dementia, Dorks in Love, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Horny Mirage | Elliott Witt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Masturbation, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Mirage | Elliott Witt Needs a Hug, Moaning, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Nonbinary Character, Other, Self-Harm, Self-Reflection, Somnophilia, Voyeurism, Wet Dream, eheheheheheehehehehe, its just hinted at or referenced in terms of elliott so its not a big scene or smth, technically, the last chapter was sweet n soft and this one is a RIDE, theres no real noncon in the chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzybatbutts/pseuds/fuzzybatbutts
Summary: Elliott's visit to his mother's on his birthday doesn't exactly go as planned, and Hound's hiding something
Relationships: Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Series: Lessons To Be Learned [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330520
Comments: 24
Kudos: 82





	Exchanges

**Author's Note:**

> Mwah this is a little late so have a beefy boy please read the authors notes at the end also antis be yeeted I ain't got time for that b.s also shoutout to my beta Kit for fixing this bad boy

“Let’s go through this one more time.”

Hound sighed as they removed the Jeep key from the ignition. “Elliott, we have gone over this twice now. I understand.”

“Yeah well it’s for my sake, not yours,” he shot back, doing his best to keep from fidgeting. 

“Fine,” they said, doing little to hide their irritation, “I will humor you.”

Elliott took a deep breath. “Okay, so. We met during the games when you got placed on my squad.”

“Yes.”

“We worked really well together, so you approached me afterwards and asked if I wanted to form a team with you.”

“Mhm.” 

“We went out for a couple drinks after practicing, and found out we just got along really well.”

Hound nodded. Elliott turned his head to look up at them. “Your turn.”

“Well,” they huffed, “Your mother has some form of condition that impacts her memory. I am not to mention your brothers or your father, and if she makes a mistake, I am not to correct her, but you may. I cannot mention anything about our…  _ relationship _ , or respond to her teasing me.”

Elliott breathed a sigh of relief and let some of the tension leave his body. “Yup, that about covers it. As far as I know she’s been having a good streak, so hopefully the memory thing isn’t too bad. She just gets upset when she has to remember that they’re gone, y’know?”

“I see. And you are sure she will not pry?”

Elliott scratched the back of his neck, fingers brushing the familiar scar. “Well, I can usually distract her pretty well, so if she’s trying to dig deeper I’ll find a way to get her off the subject. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Well, I am happy that at least you feel confident about that.”

He nodded and gestured towards the house. “Come on, she’s probably wondering why we’re just sitting here in front like a bunch of weirdos.”

“Why is sitting in a car strange?”

“It just is, Hound, let’s go.”

He could hear them muttering something to themself, probably about how annoying this was or what a pain he was being, if he had to guess. He hadn’t tried to look up any of the other words he’d caught them saying, even if the one they’d mentioned in the alley was still fresh in his mind. It was oddly nerve-wracking to think about what it might be, especially seeing how they’d reacted when he’d mention knowing what their other little nickname meant. It still hurt his brain too much to try and dissect the meaning behind it, or why his chest grew tight when he did. He didn’t want to get his hopes up that it meant Hound saw him as something more than their toy, so he’d just chalked it up to a translation error before he could be disappointed. 

Hound looked as calm as ever walking up to the house, the slight breeze tangling the unruly spikes of their hair together. Their face was covered as always, and the only skin showing was on their neck and fingers where their gloves ended. They looked much more comfortable in the cargo pants he’d lent them than they had in the jeans, and he was careful not to let his eyes linger too long on how tight the lycra shirt was around their arms. It was still strange seeing them in something as normal as a flannel, but he had to admit they pulled off the look well. Hound was nice to look at even in their tattered clothes back at the cabin, and even with their face permanently covered he had to be careful not to stare. They probably wouldn’t like him just drooling over them, and he didn’t want to be weird. The last thing he wanted was to make them self-conscious. They’d agreed to trying to act normal, and if his mom caught him all doe-eyed, it wouldn’t exactly help their case. 

He already spent more time than he probably should have watching them. There was just a sense of confidence in almost everything they did, and it was enthralling. Aside from the cafe and the theatre, they weren’t exactly one to hesitate. He remembered their time in front of the mirror, and even though they’d demanded he look at himself, he hadn’t been able to resist sneaking a glance at them. He could hardly believe that was the same person who’d damn near purred eating cotton candy, or the one who’d helped him pick out a gift for his mother. It was impossible to deny that their relationship had changed, but to him it felt like it was for the better. He knew he wouldn’t miss that damned basement anytime soon. 

Elliott was about to knock on the door when it swung open, letting his knuckles hit only air. His mom stood on the other side, one hand planted on her hip. 

“You’re late, mister.”

He chuckled, opening his arms for a hug. “I know, I know. Really, it’s your fault that you expected me to be on time in the first place.”

She rolled her eyes and embraced him. “I like to think I did a better job at parenting you than that, but you seem determined to prove me wrong. Now come on, let me get a look at you.”

Evelyn stepped back and pulled him inside, giving him a thorough look over. She clicked her tongue and frowned up at him, and his beat quickened as he tried not to think about what could be wrong. His facial hair was thick enough to cover the scars at the corners of his mouth, and aside from the scar on his hand, nothing else should have been visible. 

“You’re too skinny. What have you been eating? Look at you, you’re like a skeleton.” 

Elliott crossed his arms. “Am not! I’ve been eating just fine, thank you.” 

“You couldn’t boil water if I put a gun to your head,” she chirped. 

“Um, pardon me?” a quiet voice interrupted. 

Both of them turned to see Hound, awkwardly standing on the porch behind them. They had a hand half-raised, like a school kid trying to ask the teacher a question. 

“Oh god!” Evelyn gasped, “I’m so sorry dear, I almost forgot Elliott had brought a friend over. Don’t just stand in the doorway, come in.” 

Hound shuffled past him, and Elliott held his breath as his mother gave them the same once-over. Instead of a hug, she reached out her hand for them to shake, and Hound grasped it firmly. “My name is Evelyn, in case this one forgot to mention it. And I assume you’re the Bloodhound I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yes, and in fact he did forget to mention it,” they said, “I do not believe it came up even once.”

“Oh no,” he said, getting in between them, “I am not having you two gang up on me this early. I have to deal with that crap with you and Anita as is!” 

“Well maybe you’ll learn the importance of introducing people then, dear.”

He shot her an exasperated look, but it just made her smile wider. “Well come on in then, I’m just finishing up dinner in the kitchen. Since you were late, you can set the table, birthday boy.”

She walked away before he could protest, leaving him with a snickering Hound. “Oh don’t you sound pleased with yourself?”

Hound clapped him on the shoulder as they passed by. “Better do as she says,  _ birthday boy _ . You do not want to be a rude guest.”

“This is my house!”

“You could have fooled me, it looks much cleaner than your apartment.” 

Elliott grumbled as he slipped off his shoes, leaving them lined up at the door. His mother was usually messier than him, as she would get tunnel vision and completely ignore everything else when she was working. He remembered watching her work as a kid, dodging tools, or schematics that weren’t working out as they were thrown on the floor. He’d caught her sleeping in their garage when she’d first started developing the holotec and didn’t have any laboratory space for it, face down in a pile of various wires and machine parts. He’d always yank on her sleeve until she woke up, and sometimes in the morning he’d go back in to help her clean up. 

He turned a corner to find them both in the kitchen, his mother fussing over the stove and Hound leaning against the far wall. 

“Oh, I’m sorry Hound, I forgot to ask if you had any allergies.” 

“Allergies?” they echoed, turning towards Elliott. 

“She means if there’s any food you can’t eat,” he explained, “Like, anything that makes you sick.”

“I see. Not that I am aware of.”

His mother nodded and turned back to the counter, where she was dumping a hefty portion of cheese on top of some potatoes. Elliott scooted by her to grab a stack of plates from the cupboard, trying his best to stay out of the way. Hound had seemingly planted themself as far away as they could get, arms folded as they silently observed. It didn’t seem to phase his mother, who was as cheerful as she always was. 

“Oh, Elliott!” she exclaimed, looking over her shoulder. “I have something that I think you’ll really like!”

He smiled back at her, her enthusiasm contagious as always. “What’s up?”

“I remembered our little conversation we had a few days ago”, she said, “you know, the one where you said your holograms were starting to lose their effectiveness?”

Elliott tried not to wince. That conversation had taken place several months ago, and he’d had to remind her of it more than once. He decided to let it slide, ignoring Hound’s curious tilt of their head. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Well,” she started, wiping her hands off on a towel, “I’ve been doing some thinking on it, and I finally managed to spice it up a bit. Here, let me show you.” 

Evelyn double-checked the oven before scampering over to a side table, and proudly holding up a small device in her hand. “Here, it won’t work quite as well without the rest of your suit, but I think you’ll still be able to see it in action.” 

She pressed it into his hand and pushed a green button on the side. A ray of light shot out from it, scanning his body up and down. Once it had gone over him entirely, an image of himself appeared in front of him, mirroring him exactly. “Go on, do something. Raise your hand.”

Elliott did as he was instructed, amazed to see the hologram following him perfectly. He flexed his hand and waved it around in the air, and the mirror image followed without pause. “Oh my god.”

She beamed at him, clapping her hands. “It took me more than a few sleepless nights, but I think this will really help you. It can’t mimic complex movements without a bit of a delay, and it can only do one or two at a time, but it’ll fool people a lot better than the static ones.”

Elliott’s jaw was on the floor. The tinker in him wanted to dissect the thing with her, pull it apart so he could understand how the hell she’d managed to pull this off. They’d been discussing the idea of it for some time, but the logistics had eluded them for quite some time. His mind was racing with possibilities, and how much easier it would be for him to trick people in the ring. If they weren’t expecting it, it would completely blindside them. 

“It also has hit detection like the others,” she continued, “So once it’s hooked up into the wiring harness of the suit, these clones will be amazing for finding out shooter locations. You remember how to do that, right?”

Elliott held his arms out. “Of course I do. I’ve only had to fix the thing about a dozen times.” 

“Well this should help you get shot less, so ideally that won’t be an issue,” she smirked, “Do I even want to know what you’ve done to my precious holo-suit?”

Elliott shook his head. “Y’know sometimes I swear you’re more worried about the suit than me.” 

“I only had to wait 9 months for you. The holotech took me  _ years _ .” 

Bloodhound snickered behind them. “Luckily he mostly takes bullets to the extremities. Your son has a gift for getting shot in convenient places, so I believe your suit will be safe.” 

Evelyn rolled her eyes. “You four have a talent for getting shot, apparently. I think Anita has only ever taken the one bullet, but you seem determined to make up for it.” 

“Uh, three, mom.” 

She feigned irritation. “Well you get shot so often it’s like there’s four of you. How are you doing Hound, by the way? Elliott told me you took quite the shot to the head and that you weren’t doing very well.” 

Hound straightened, and if Elliott hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn they looked surprised. “Oh, did he now? Well, I have recovered, for the most part. I have not been able to repair my helmet since the damage was quite extensive. I may have to just make a new one.”

“I could take a look at it,” she offered, “The boys were always breaking things around the house, so I got very good at fixing the unfixable.” 

“Oh, that is…” Hound trailed off, “quite… nice of you.”

She smiled. “Any friend of Elliott’s is part of the family. I’ve patched up Anita’s smoke canister launcher more times than I can count, so I’m sure I could manage a helmet.” 

Hound looked visibly uncomfortable, but if his mother noticed, she didn’t give any indication. Her specialty was technology and gadgets, not quite human interaction. Elliott stepped in, waving a hand to get her attention. “I actually have something for you too, Mom.”

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “For me? Sweetheart, it’s not  _ my _ birthday.”

“Yeah I know,” he admitted, pulling out the small box from his pocket, “But I figured I’d still get you something nice. I haven’t in awhile.”

“So this is your way of sucking up after forgetting to call me,” she said, matter-of-factly.

He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, you got me there.”

She made a small noise of acknowledgement as she started to open the box. He’d done his best to wrap it up nicely, but it looked more like a child’s school project than a nice present. The wrapping paper was covered in strips of tape trying to hold it together, and the bow had started to come loose. Once she got past the layers of tape, she finally removed the lid and saw the watch inside. Evelyn gasped as she scooped it up in her palms and let the box fall to the floor. She turned it over in her hands, examining all the moving gears within as the pocket watch ticked away. 

“Elliott,” she said, eyes wide, “How did you find this? It’s beautiful!”

He pointed a finger at Hound. “They actually spotted it, not me. I probably would have walked right by it if Hound hadn’t pointed it out.”

She wrapped him up in a hug, squeezing him tightly. “Thank you son, I love it.”

He hugged her back. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry for forgetting to call you.”

She let go and carefully put the watch down on the counter, away from the mess of the kitchen. “Well, you two go sit down, I’m just about finished here. I won’t be mean and make you serve us.”

He laughed. “Thanks, Mom.”

__

Elliott watched curiously as Hound examined the plate in front of them. He knew how amazing his mother’s cooking was, but Hound looked as suspicious of the plate in front of them as they had with the cats. They sniffed the small portion they’d cut off before popping it into their mouth, letting it rest on their tongue for a moment before chewing it. “What… is this?”

“It’s an old Witt family recipe,” his mom chimed in, “Pork chops are Elliott’s favorite, so I make it every time he comes to visit me.” 

They nodded slowly. “It is…  _ amazing _ .”

Evelyn beamed as Hound shoved another piece into their mouth, and Elliott relaxed back into his chair. “It’s a lot nicer than what I usually make when we hang out, huh?”

Hound nodded, but they seemed too busy shoveling their food into their face more than a murmured noise of agreement. It definitely was nice to have something home cooked, instead of the rather simplistic food Hound kept at the cabin. He’d never tire of the bread they made or the sweet jams they had from the wild berry bushes, but Hound wasn’t exactly a passionate chef. They seemingly just ate what they had to, only shelling out for their coffee and the pound of sugar they went through every week. It was definitely a welcome break from the routine, and he wondered if he could convince them to let him visit more often if he brought them the leftovers. 

Evelyn just smiled at Hound, taking a sip from her glass. “There’s plenty more if you want seconds, dear. I’m used to cooking for more than this, so I can never eat all of it myself.”

Hound looked up from their plate and swallowed hard. “I can?”

“Well of course!” she said, “No sense in it going to waste when someone else will eat it. Elijah usually eats enough for two, but he couldn’t make it tonight.” 

Elliott paused, fork halfway to his mouth. “Oh… y-yeah. It’s a shame.”

She sighed wistfully. “Lord only knows the last time I saw that boy. He’s the worst for visiting.” 

Hound stopped what they were doing and looked over at her. “Forgive me, Mrs. Witt, but I thought Elliott’s brothers were-” 

“ _ Very _ inconsiderate not to visit,” he interrupted, shooting them a look, “Please pass the potatoes,  _ Hound _ .” 

Hound looked back over to him, but kept their mouth shut as they passed him the bowl. Elliott looked over at his mother nervously, watching as she stared dreamily past both of them. He prayed silently that she was just in a daydream, and that she could keep it together for a bit longer. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed of her forgetting, but more so that it just had a way of souring the evening whenever it happened. 

Both of them stayed quiet as she sighed, and Elliott’s stomach dropped when she looked over at both of them. He could always tell by her eyes when it was bad, because she always got the same look of pleasant surprise when it happened. She turned to Hound and smiled, excitement lighting up her face. “Oh, Elias! Goodness, excuse me, I’ve been completely ignoring you this whole time! Sorry, I just got sidetracked.”

Hound set their fork down and looked over at Elliott, confused. “Um.”

“Now dear,” she said, trying to hide a laugh, “I know you’ve always been the flamboyant one, but I think the mask is a little far. Is this some new fashion trend you haven’t told me about? Come on, let your mother see your face.” 

Hound stiffened up as she reached out, putting her hand on top of theirs. They looked like they’d rather rip it away from her, but Elliott interjected. “Mom,” he said, gently, “Elias had to go home early, remember? His wife needed some help with the kids. Hound just sat in his spot by accident.” 

“Oh right, right,” she said, taking her hand back. Hound quickly pulled theirs under the table, away from her. “I wonder how she’s doing lately? Maybe I should give her a call tomorrow to check up on them. Elias always was a bit of an airhead, even more so than you. The kids must all be in school by now, so she must be tired.”

“I-I’m sure s-she’s f-fine,” he stuttered, cursing himself for letting it slip. “Are you going to need help cleaning up, Mom? You know I don’t mind helping.”

“Oh yes, dear, I know. You and Elhanan were always fighting over who got to help me out. You were all so helpful, even at that age.” 

Elliott swallowed nervously, trying to figure out how to salvage the conversation. She didn’t let him get a word in before she continued, leaning back into her chair. “You know, I always hoped Elhanan would visit more often. But then again, you always were such a momma’s boy, Elijah.”

Elliott grimaced, grinding his teeth together to stop from correcting her. It always hurt when she forgot he was there, or when she’d mistake him for one of his brothers. It felt like his heart was being stabbed by an icicle, spreading the chill throughout his body. It was just a special kind of pain, one he’d given up on trying to explain to others. 

Evelyn kept on talking, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Oh Hound,” she started, “You should have seen him as a kid. His brothers were always off causing mischief around the neighborhood, but I couldn’t keep this little rugrat away from my soldering iron.” 

Elliott tried to smile, remembering all the times his brothers had earned themselves a detention while he’d just been helping strip wires in the garage. It was fun to try to outshine them at home and at school, but he was always smart enough to avoid getting detention over it. He couldn’t goof off or learn how to read schematics with his mom if he was getting lectured by a teacher. 

“I took it upon myself to teach him what I could,” she continued, “Poor kid really was too young to keep up with his brothers, but I appreciated the extra hand in the shop. I felt bad that there was such a huge gap between them all, but not too sorry since I loved my little helper. He looked so cute with engine oil on his little coveralls.” 

“Mooomm,” he complained, “Stop trying to embarass me in front of my friends. I’m not a kid anymore!”

“Well you could have fooled me,” she shot back. 

Hound smiled a bit, but his mother just laughed. “Oh pardon me, of course, son, sorry about all of that. I do tend to tease you too much. You really do get your focus from your father, after all.”

“Oh, does he?” Hound asked, innocently. Elliott tried to shoot them another look, but they were focussed on Evelyn.

“Absolutely,” she said. “I was always such a scatterbrain, but he had the worst case of tunnel vision I’ve ever known. I’d be off trying to fix things that weren’t even broken, and Elliott had to get me back on track more than once.”

“Really?” they asked, “In my experience, trying to get him to focus is like, what is the expression? Herding cats?”

Elliott glared at them. Hound hadn’t even known what a cat  _ was _ until recently, and now they were using their newfound knowledge to just make fun of them. It was very in character, if not still annoying. “For your information, I am  _ very _ focussed when I need to be.”

“Well clearly you have no sense of urgency, as you never are,” they retorted. 

Evelyn didn’t bother to try and hide her laugh. “Son, I know that the smart little brain of yours has two settings: pretty people, and holotech.” 

Elliott didn’t rise to the bait, instead turning his attention back to his food while they laughed. He was, admittedly, relieved that Hound had only made the mistake once, and that it had gone over well. They both liked to tease him, so Hound had no problem adjusting, and it was nice to just hear them both have a good time. For someone who spent most of their times hunkered down in the woods, they could be quite personable when they needed to be. It was just strange watching them flip back and forth, especially now that they’d somewhat mellowed out. At least they were slightly more balanced, so he could enjoy the softer moments like this more often. 

“So,” she asked, “Are you two going to be staying the night here? I know it’s quite a drive from your apartment, so I can clean up the two guest rooms if you want. God knows I have too many rooms in this house.”

This time, Elliott couldn’t stop himself from wincing. Worse than being personally mistaken for someone else was everything else being forgotten entirely. The fact that she switched without flinching was just another added layer of pain, because she was totally unaware. In the moment, there was just nothing he could do, and neither could she. 

“Mom,” he said, softly, “those aren’t guest bedrooms.”

She looked at him, confused. “Yes dear, they are. What else would they be? I know one of them used to be yours, Elijah, but the rest have been empty.”

Elliott abruptly stood up and shoved his chair back, grimacing as it scraped against the floor. Hound looked up at him, confused, but didn’t say anything. He turned to his mom before she could comment, not wanting to hear anymore of it. “I’m just going to go relax for a minute. I’ve got a headache.” 

Evelyn looked concerned, and he hated himself for making her worry. He knew it was selfish to just up and leave, but he was going to bite a hole in his tongue if he had to keep letting the name changes slide. 

“Oh, alright dear. I’m going to start cleaning up, I’ll come bring you something when I’m done.”

He nodded and swiftly walked away, turning the corner to the hallway that contained the set of bedrooms. She often told him that he should correct her whenever she called him by the wrong name, but the doctors had been strict in warning him against that. They said it just caused her unnecessary stress, and that too much of it would just push her mind further than she could handle it. She wasn’t that old, only in her late fifties, still too young for her mind to be going so quickly. There still wasn’t much that could be done by the doctors, and the top-ranked care pushed even his budget. He’d avoided getting a fancy apartment like some of the other champions so he could push money into her care, but he’d learned quickly that there just wasn’t much to be done. Once brain cells started dying, they couldn’t do much to bring them back, aside from delay the inevitable. 

Elliott paused in front of the door, hand just inches away from the doorknob. He could see his own fingers starting to shake, nerves running wild. There was just some kind of energy behind that door, something that never failed to devastate him. Hound was terrifying, but returning to his house always brought some kind of primordial dread, like there was something deep in his bones screaming at him to get away. He didn’t understand it, but he rarely ever questioned it. It told him to avoid the smiling family pictures, so he did. It told him to tune out the calls from his nieces and nephews, so he just let them ring out until they eventually stopped trying. His mother would call him when it was someone’s birthday, but his sister-in-laws didn’t bring the kids around to his mother's very often. It broke her heart that she couldn’t see what few pieces of her boys remained, but on some level, he understood. It was just too painful watching her stumble over her words, and most of the kids were too young to really understand. 

“Elliott, are you there?”

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Bloodhound round the corner, stopping when they saw him. “Oh, there you are.” 

He dropped his hand back to his side and turned to face them. “Yeah,” he said, keeping his voice low, “I’m here. What’s up?”

“You said you were not feeling well. I wanted to know what the problem was.”

He did his best not to scoff. Normally, he would have tried to tell himself that they had good intentions, but he couldn’t help but feel cynical. His brain was too preoccupied with fighting back the whirlwind of emotion, and his heart felt like it had just stopped beating. “It’s nothing,” he said, looking down at his feet, “Just don’t worry about it, okay? I’ll be fine.” 

Hound stepped in closer and slipped off one of their gloves, pressing the back of their hand to his forehead. “Hm. You do not feel warm.”

Elliott laughed, bitterly. “It’s not that kind of problem, Hound. Really, I’ll be fine. I just need some time alone.”

They didn’t back off, instead resting one hand on his shoulder. “I see. What am I to tell your mother? She still wants to know if we are staying the night. We did not discuss this, and I would rather not stir up trouble.” 

He sighed. “I-I don’t know. I know she probably wants us to, but I really don’t know. I’m too tired to think about it much.”

Hound made an unsatisfied noise. They let their hand trail down from his shoulder to his arm, squeezing it gently. “I can take your mind off of it,” they whispered, leaning in closer to his ear, “I am quite good at distracting you.” 

Disgust, stronger than he’d ever felt before, surged through his body. He brushed off their hand and looked up at them, fire in his eyes. Hound tensed up, drawing back slightly. “No,” he said, taking a step back. “Fuck no, not right now.”

“Elliott,” they said, warning starting to leak into their voice, “What have I told you ab-”

“No,” he repeated, standing his ground, “I don’t give a shit about what you’ve told me before. Not here, and not fucking now. We can talk about this later, but right now I need some alone time, and that includes being away from  _ you _ .”

Hound crossed their arms, and he could feel their eyes burning a hole through him as they looked down. He couldn’t have cared if he tried, adrenaline making him brave. He wanted nothing to do with them or anything they were hinting at, especially not at a time like this. 

They dropped their arms and sighed. “Fine. For the sake of not causing a scene, I will allow it. Just do not take too long, I am certain she will start prying if you are not there.”

Hound spun on their heels and started back down the hall, but Elliott could feel something trying to crawl its way back up out of his throat, something that needed to be heard. 

“Thank you,” he said, “For being understanding.”

Hound just nodded and turned wordlessly back around the bend, leaving him alone once more in the hallway. He let out a sigh and gripped the doorknob, giving it a slight turn as he pushed it open. 

The room inside was mostly dark, save for the warm glow of a small nightlight that was plugged into the wall. Despite it all, it still made him smile whenever he saw it. His brother Elijah and him had shared that room, and Elijah had always been petrified of the dark. They’d fought about it on occasion, one of those silly little arguments that really meant nothing. He’d complain about how lame it was to still have a nightlight, and Elijah would just throw a pillow at him and tell him to suck it up. It was one of those memories that brought a bit of warmth back into his chest, despite the hollow aching that came with it. 

Elijah’s side of the room had never really been touched. Their mother had refused to touch any of it when he’d gone off to join the war, so every poster and dirty sock was still in its rightful place. Elijah had always been the last person Elliott had expected to sign up, and he’d never found the time to really sit down and ask him why he did. Elias and Elhanan had joined almost immediately, going to sign up together and entering the barracks on the same day. They’d always been closer to each other than with them, but the same had been true for him and Elijah. Elhanan was braver than anyone he’d ever known, and Elias had always been a fighter, keen to prove himself as tougher even when no one had ever doubted him. 

Elijah was the opposite. He was the artist of the family, and probably the quietest of them all. He still loved to play jokes and had his moments like the others, but he was softer, and the only person Elliott had ever considered to be too kind for his own good. Elijah would have given the clothes off his back to just about anyone who asked, which was something Elliott had always envied. He was only a year older than Elliott, so they’d walk to school together and sometimes hang out during breaks. Often, he’d have to give up part of his lunch to his brother, who’d given all his food away to the poorer kids that didn’t bring much of their own. Elliott knew he meant well, but he still worried nonetheless. 

The walls on Elijah’s side were covered in paintings and various sketches he’d done over the years. The paper on the charcoal busts had yellowed, but the artwork was still as beautiful as he remembered it. Elliott had just put up posters of bands he’d thought were cool, or hung up pictures of school friends and his mother’s shop, but Elijah’s was all unique. He’d always been envious of his brother’s talent, but Elijah had poured hours into mastering his craft, like he had with the holotech. 

He knew where every canvas was, where all the pencils were placed on the table, and exactly how the messed up sheets sat on the bed. He knew if he opened the bedside table, he’d find a fake bottom, and underneath it he knew there was all Elijah’s supplies for when he’d hurt himself. He’s been sworn to secrecy by his brother, forbidden from telling a soul and breaking their mother’s heart. He’d felt beyond helpless watching his brother stumble into their room at night, covered in gauze and rolling fitfully around in bed, but he’d kept his promise and never told anyone. 

Normally it would have just made him sad, remembering how he’d held his brother on the nights when it got bad, but now there was something else. Despite his wishes, Hound kept creeping into the back of his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder if they had something like that, hidden away in the cabin where he’d never find it. All of Hound’s scars looked old, but he’d rarely ever see them naked, and for all he knew they might have a patchwork of scars on their legs like they did their arms. It still rattled him seeing the biggest of all of them, the one right down the center of their forearm. He didn’t want to think of what it meant, or what kind of place they’d been in to do something like that to themself. 

It made his chest ache to think of Hound like that, helpless and too tired to do much else besides pull a knife over their skin. They just seemed so strong, even when they needed his help physically. Elijah had been the quiet, stereotypical tortured soul, but that wasn’t Hound. He didn’t know if he’d ever get an answer, even if he desperately wanted one. He didn’t feel any kind of pity for them. It was something deeper, something that had been quietly growing in his chest that he’d been determined to ignore. It hurt him so much to think about them in pain because he somehow cared, and he never wanted to see them like that. Even  _ knowing _ they’d been in some kind of pain like that felt like a cold had seized his heart, stopping it from beating. He wanted to fix it, to make it better with Hound like he’d never been able to do with Elijah, but he didn’t know if they’d let him. 

Elliott let out a quiet sob, sinking down onto his old bed. It was just another factor in his life that he couldn’t control, and he hated it. He hated it with every fiber of his being, the feeling of being so powerless that all he could was sit and wait for it to happen. He loved being in the games because if he died, it was his fault. He either had done something wrong, or someone was just better than he was. There was no greater force of nature at play, no underlying condition to stop him. It was pure skill, and nothing else. His decoys gave him an edge, and the new gift his mother had given him just added to that power. It felt so small in comparison, so pathetic that he could control something as small as that. It truly was why he adored technology, because it only did what you told it to do. All he had control over was his own life and his tech, while everything else just went along without him getting any say in it. Even Hound, the center of his fascination, had never wanted to give him a choice. They would have fucked him in the ring whether he’d been turned on or not, and probably just as easily put a bullet in the back of his head had he not liked it. They’d kidnapped him and scarred up his body, tried to break his mind and scare him into submission. He didn’t know if it had worked, only that there was still some part of him that enjoyed it.

There was just something nice about not being allowed to make a decision. There were just too many things he had to think about, and it was so a relief not even having to worry about it. If Hound wanted something, they’d tell him, and if he was good, they’d take his mind off of anything he was worried about. They couldn’t do it here, not with his mom present and certainly not in this room, but he knew it could happen once they were away from here. It was something he could rely on without having to fuss over it, and he knew on some level that was why he was so obsessed with them. He’d just never known another person who could make him say ‘fuck it’ like Hound could, throw caution to the breeze and just live a little, somewhere away from the grief and constant pain of his normal life. Hound made him feel like a teenager again, reckless, and just able to enjoy life like he hadn’t been able to for a long time. 

Part of it too was that Hound didn’t really seem to care about much of anything. To them, he wasn’t the tragic sole son of the famous Evelyn Witt, weighed down by grief and the pressure of having to keep his smile. He was just Elliott, the one they could lean on when their legs were shaky, and who’d snap to attention when they needed him. Whether they truly needed him or just wanted him, it didn’t really matter much either way. They didn’t pry and demand he tell them when he wasn’t feeling okay, or rag on him for not being able to keep up his persona. They felt like a truly neutral force, not caring about anything on either side. It was refreshing, even if he wasn’t sure what it was. 

Elliott stood up, the thought of Hound starting to push aside the memory of his brothers and the worry about his mom. He could think about it later, but in the moment, he just wanted to see them. Even if they were angry, he really did just want to stop thinking. Maybe the smell of smoke in their hair could drown it all out, if he could just lean on them for a change. 

He stepped back out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He started to walk down the hall when he first heard the voices, soft, speaking in hushed tones. As he crept closer, careful to avoid places where the floorboards would squeak, he could make them out more clearly. Hound and his mother were speaking in the kitchen, making conversation without him.

“... really do worry about him.” 

“He appears to be fine, at least in the time that I have known him.”

Elliott’s ears perked up. Were they talking about him?”

“Yes, but he’s quite good at hiding what he’s feeling. Not to mention that when something is wrong, he tends to be the last person to know. You appear to be the most stable person he’s introduced me to, aside from Anita, of course. I do think you’ll be good for him, though. Both of you. He could use some more relaxed people for a change, it’s really not good that he just doesn’t know when to take a break.”

“P-pardon?”

A heavy sigh, sounding like it came from his mother. “He bounces around from person to person so often, I worry he’ll wind up with someone awful. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s picked someone who treats him poorly.”

“He… has a history of this?”

Elliott held his breath, internally cursing his mother for being so open. He’d never intended on telling Hound about his past partners, but she apparently was going to do it for him. 

“Unfortunately, yes. Poor boy’s never really been a good judge of character. Spends so much time talking instead of listening that he overlooks things. There hasn’t been an especially bad one in a while, but dear god the last one was awful. The only time we’ve ever fought was when I told him she was no good. I may be just a nervous old lady, but I know danger when I see it.”

“How was she bad?”

“She’d never let him do anything on his own. She’d constantly scream at him if he did something wrong, and she constantly accused him of cheating on her, even though she was sleeping around with half the city when he wasn’t looking. She just controlled everything he did, even put some kind of malware on his phone so he couldn’t hide things. I know she hit him once or twice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more I didn’t know. He doesn’t like talking about it. Feels guilty, I think.”

“Oh. That is… horrible. No one should control another person like that.” 

Something in Hound’s voice sounded off. They didn’t sound like they were just faking concern, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on exactly what was wrong. There was just something in their voice that sounded different, and he knew he didn’t like it. 

“You seem much better than her, I can tell just by looking at you. You’re strange, but you seem honest. Just do a worried mother a favor and watch him, okay?” 

“Yes, I will keep an eye on him. I do not want him hurting either.”

“Well then, you’re welcome here anytime you like, Bloodhound.” 

Elliott purposefully stepped on a part of the floor that squeaked, so they wouldn’t think he was eavesdropping. He stepped back into the kitchen and saw both of them leaning on the counters, arms crossed and both looking at him. “Hey guys. Did I miss the party?”

Evelyn smiled at him. “No, we were just talking about how late it’s gotten. They told me that you had plans to do some practice near their place, since they live near a range of some sort out there.”

“Oh! Y-yeah,” he stammered, “Now that I have the new holotech add-on, I should probably do some troubleshooting just so there’s no surprises before the next match.” 

“You better tell me when the next one starts,” she warned, “I’m not going to be swayed by a pretty trinket next time.” 

“I know, I know. I promise I will.”

“I will remind him, Mrs. Witt,” said Hound, “If he forgets, I will drag him back here myself.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet,” she replied.

Elliott hugged his mother tightly as Hound held the door open, letting in the cool night air. 

“Bye mom. See you later.”

“Happy birthday, son.” 

He gave a final wave as they started back towards the Jeep, Hound trying to fish the keys out of their pocket. “So I guess we’re not going back to the apartment, huh?”

“No, I think it is time we return home, at least for a little while. I cannot sleep well in the city. It is much too bright, and far too noisy for my taste.”

“Home, huh?”

“Yes, home.”

__

Elliott awoke to something beside him shifting in the dark, tugging the blankets off of him. He groaned slightly, his sleep-addled brain trying to piece together exactly what was happening. He could remember that they’d made their way back towards the cabin after Hound had given him the usual dose of the sleeping drug. He’d woken up briefly as they carried him inside, curled up against their chest. Instead of laying him down in his own bed, they’d put him beside them in their room, but he’d been too drowsy to ask why. Hound’s bed was stiff, but there was some kind of softer cushion on top that made it bearable. They must have been getting up to go to the bathroom or something, and the mattress shifting beneath him was what tore him away from his dreams. He would have been content to settle for that explanation and gone back to sleep, had the movement on the other side of the bed not increased. Confused, he opened his eyes and tried to squint in the darkness, a single beam of moonlight from a crack in the blinds the only thing to assist him. 

From what he could see, Hound had kicked off their blanket and was laying on their back, muscles twitching sporadically. Their fingers were wound into the bedsheet, and their knuckles had gone white from how hard they were grasping onto them. They must have been dreaming about something, and their head was occasionally shaking side to side, like they were trying to dodge something. It was hard to make out many details since Hound’s room was always incredibly dark, but he had a feeling something was up. He could hear their breathing, broken and unsteady. 

Cautious, he reached out and gently put his hand on their arm as it shook. It was hot, and sticky with sweat. He could see a thin sheen of it on their neck, dripping down onto their shoulder and staining their shirt. It felt like they were feverish, like they were burning up from some kind of infection. They hadn’t seemed sick before, and he doubted they’d flare up so badly in the middle of sleeping. Elliott remembered something he’d read about not waking up someone in the depths of sleep like this, but seeing them this way had piqued his curiosity. Were they having some kind of nightmare? They didn’t seem like the kind to even get nightmares, let alone one bad enough to have them trembling like this. 

_ What the hell could scare them? _

They could be wary of certain things, yes, but he’d never have described them as scared. Weakened by their mystery condition perhaps, but not frightened. It was more like they were tired than anything else, just weary of having to fight through another bout of pain or ask him for help again. He could see their lower lip trembling where they weren’t gnawing on it, and he was worried he’d have to shake them awake if they bit down on it too hard. 

“Aah _ , n-nei _ …” 

_ Oh. _

Elliott’s eyes widened as he heard Hound let out a breathy moan, so quiet he wasn’t sure he’d heard them right. It was impossible to mistake for another sound, but he still had a hard time believing that was what it was. It was just another thing Hound didn’t really do. In all the times they’d had sex, they barely made a sound. They could dirty talk better than anyone else he’d been with, but beyond that and heavy breathing they were almost always silent. Sometimes they’d moan, but it was always very controlled-sounding, not like the wanton noises they were making now. He’d always wondered what they’d sound like moaning unrestrainedly, since he loved when his partner would make noise. Their breath would hitch, and their voice rise in pitch, before they’d snap their mouth shut and try to hold it in. Elliott had silently wished for more control on many occasions to see if he could get them to make more noises like that. He wouldn’t dream of trying to top them, but maybe if they’d let him take his time with a blowjob he could get something. Either that, or maybe he could ride them really slow, get them worked up and see if they’d moan when he sank down on them.

Hound’s head pushed back into the pillow, hands straining against the sheets they’d balled up in their fists. They were arching their lower back, grinding against the air. Now that he was paying attention, he could see that they were rock hard under their shorts, fabric pulled taunt over the bulge. 

“ _ Gleðja _ ,” they whimpered, arms starting to shake, “ _ Gle _ \- ah! _ ” _

Elliott was certain he had to be dreaming. He’d been exhausted by his visit to his mother, and the drug they’d given him must have still been in his system. There was no way Hound,  _ his _ Hound, was fucking  _ whining _ in the bed next to him. They were squirming even more now, like they were jerking their body away from something while still trying to lift their hips up into the air. Hound had their thighs pressed tightly together, toes curling into the sheets. Their breathing was becoming erratic, chest rising and falling in uneven patterns as they writhed. 

“ _Gleðja_ ,” Hound repeated, their voice high-pitched and thin, “ _E-ekki_ … haa _,_ _m-meira_.”

He had no way of knowing for sure what they were saying, but by the tone alone, it almost sounded as if they were  _ begging _ . Begging for what he could only guess, but judging by the precum that was soaking through their shorts, it must have been something good. 

Elliott could barely imagine someone able to make Hound beg. Maybe they had some kind of submissive side that they were too embarrassed to show, but in their dreams they finally let someone else take charge. They were just so overwhelmingly dominant that he’d never considered it even a possibility, or how hot it would be to see someone capable of that. 

Whether the person they were dreaming about was real or not, Elliott couldn’t ignore the heat rising in his own gut. He wanted to be able to make Hound feel as good as they did in their dream, and to see them let go of control just once. If he could get them to sound like that even for a second, he’d be satisfied. He had no doubt that afterwards they’d probably fuck him until he bled, making sure he knew his place even though he’d had a second at being in control. Knowing that just made the whole thing hotter, especially since Hound hadn’t gotten that rough with him in awhile. There was a certain passion that was undeniably hot about moments like when they’d run away from the movie together, but he did miss the raw ferocity that only they could give him. It was a kind of control that could get even his hyperactive brain to pay attention, and they always made it worth his while. 

Hound moaned again, but this time it was  _ much _ louder. Elliott bit his lip as he watched, playing the voyeur as he started to palm at his own cock. He was nearly fully hard just from listening to them, their moans spiking his heart rate and raising goosebumps on his arms. He felt like such a pervert for getting off to them without them knowing, but in the moment he didn’t really care. Something about that made it even better, the knowledge that they might wake up to him whining beside them. Maybe he could convince them to let him at least grind against their leg, holding him as he came in their arms. Or better yet, see him all laid out next to them and let him try to beg for it. If they were feeling cruel, they could make him suck them off first, straddling his face until he’d done a good enough job and was permitted to come. That would be wonderful, breathing in their scent while he gagged on their cock, pinned and all helpless underneath them. 

It was an amazing thought, especially when paired with the visual of them writhing on the bed. They just looked so wonderful, especially with the thin beam of light shining on their face. They’d kept the mask on, but their lips were swollen from gnawing on them, and he could see the muscles in their neck tensing. The tubes still glowed softly, casting soft shadows around their body. He still wanted to kiss every inch of them, worship their whole body instead of just their cock. 

“S-s…”

Elliott was hanging on their every word, wanting desperately to hear what they were going to say. He knew it would sound amazing no matter what it was, especially if they were going to say it while they came. He’d never gotten to be so close to their face while they came, since they’d usually only take him from behind. It felt great regardless, but still he’d always wanted to be closer.

“S-stop.  _ P-please _ . Please, n-n… n-no m-more. J-just stop… ” 

Elliott’s heart sank. 

Hound cried out, pulling at the sheets and curling in on themself as they came. It was loud, shrill, and more than he’d ever expected from them. They were panting hard, but it sounded more like choking than normal breathing. Elliott stayed quiet, not daring to make a sound as they mewled, whole body shaking. They finally stilled after a moment, seemingly going limp, letting the sheets go and laying back down in the bed. 

But in an instant, Hound sat straight up, making Elliott flinch in surprise. Their breathing was rising rapidly, and they were exhaling loudly through their mouth. He watched, petrified as they just hugged themself for a moment, like they were trying to soothe themself. Before he could decide what to do, Hound swung their feet over the side and jumped out of the bed, taking off like a shot out of the room without so much as a warning.

Elliott was up and out the door after them before he even had time to think about it, to process what exactly he was doing or where the hell they could be going, but he knew he had to follow them. There was something wrong, something horribly wrong and he needed to know what was happening. It wouldn’t be right to just lay in bed while they were in so much distress, especially not this late. 

He heard the door to the cabin as they threw it open, not even caring to put on shoes as they ran outside. He couldn’t either, knowing that if he stopped he’d probably lose them for good. Wherever they were going, they apparently needed to get there as soon as possible, since they were going at nearly a full sprint. Elliott left the cabin door ajar as he ran out, catching a flash of white hair going down one of the paths in front of him. 

It was nearly pitch black outside, as it always was in the forest. He could barely see more than a couple inches in front of him, but he charged ahead, blindly praying that there wouldn’t be anything in his way. Branches slapped his face, stinging as they dug tiny cuts across his face and neck. The mossy floor was sprinkled with nettles and needles from the pines, piercing the skin on the soles of his feet. It hurt like hell, but he was too focussed on Hound to pay much attention to them. He could clean the wounds once he knew they were okay, and he could worry about catching hell from them then. He brought his arms up to shield his eyes from the branches, letting him push further through the trees to keep up.

He could see the dim glow of the tubes, a signal beam for him to follow. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had to keep himself from getting lost in the dark. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he lost them in the woods, especially since he knew he’d have no hope of getting back to the cabin without them. He’d never wandered the paths alone, always trusting that Hound would be right behind him, steering him to where they wanted to go. He’d have to just stay put if he lost them, and hope they’d find him before some other ungodly creature did. He didn’t want to run into one of the great beasts that they’d slain when he was alone, completely unarmed and naked from the waist up. 

Elliott heard the sounds of splashing up ahead, and the gentle hum of the river. Hound must have been trying to cross it, but at least he knew it would slow them down a bit. He pushed through the last line of branches and hopped onto the rocky shore. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, scanning the landscape trying to find where they’d gone.

Hound was up ahead, waist deep in water, frantically splashing water onto themself. They were scratching at their arms, clawing at the flesh like they were trying to rip it off of them. He couldn’t see their face with their back turned to him, but they didn’t seem to know he was there. 

“Hound!” he called out, cupping his hands over his mouth to amplify the sound. 

They didn’t seem to hear him, even when he screamed their name so loud it made his throat ache. They just kept dunking their hands back into the water, rubbing at their skin like they were trying to wash off some invisible thing. It was like they were in some kind of trance, like they’d been hypnotised, and he didn’t know the command to make them stop. 

Elliott ran into the water, wading over to where they were standing. It was even colder than he remembered, but he just grit his teeth and pushed on until he was standing behind them. 

“Hound,” he cried, “Hound, wha-”

_ SMACK! _

Elliott fell back into the water as Hound whirled around, the palm of their hand connecting hard with his cheek. It caught him completely off guard and he didn’t have time to brace, and the icy river enveloped his body as he fell. His head and neck were still above the water, but he couldn’t prepare for the look of sheer  _ hatred _ on Hound’s face as they glared down at him. 

Fear coursed through him as they stared at him with seemingly murderous intent, but their face quickly changed once they saw it was him. Their mouth turned from a ferocious snarl to just hanging open slightly, and their muscles relaxed as they took in the sight of him. They looked like shit, and he could see them bleeding from multiple gashes in their arms where they’d succeeded in clawing through their flesh. They bled blue, the same fluid that travelled through the tubes now leaking down their arms and dripping into the water. Their hair was a mess, and he could see bits of it in their hands like they’d ripped it from their head. He was grateful he couldn’t see their eyes, especially as their lip started to tremble. 

“Elliott? Is that… is that you?”

“Y-yeah,” he stammered, standing back up, legs shaking. “Yeah, it’s me Hound. What’s wrong? What the hell happened to you?”

“I hit you,” they said, voice flat. 

Elliott was confused, brain racing with so many questions. “Yeah, I-I scared you. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that. It’s my fault, do-”

“No, no, it is mine. Gods,” they whimpered, “What have I done? 

“I’m okay Hound,” he insisted, “Really, I’m fine. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I-I thought… I thought they were gone. Those dreams, I thought I was finally free of them. I thought they’d finally leave me  _ alone, _ ” they moaned, burying their head in their hands. 

Their voice was full of despair, of genuine sorrow so strong he’d only ever heard it once before. His mother had sounded like that when they’d gotten the news that Elhanan was MIA, just the same as the other boys. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but he knew he hated seeing them like this. They sounded so hopeless, like everything was wrong with the world and they could do nothing to fix it. 

“I just want them to go away,” they whispered, voice cracking, “The memories,  _ they won’t leave me alone _ .” 

To his surprise, Hound leaned forward and pressed themself into his chest, wrapping their arms around his waist. Stunned, he slowly hugged their shivering body back, unsure of what to do.

“It’s okay,” he said, “You’re safe here. Nothing bad is going to happen here, okay? I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”

Hound just clung to him, weeping softly into his shoulder. It felt so wrong that he was the one hugging them, and even stranger that they were  _ crying _ , but he didn’t care enough to question it. Right now there was something bad happening, and he needed to take care of them. He could worry about his own feelings later on, but for now there were bigger concerns. 

“Hound, you’re freezing. You’ll catch your death out here. Let’s go back to the cabin, it’ll be warmer there, okay?”

They just nodded and grabbed onto his arm instead, fingers cold as ice. “Let me lean on you,” they said numbly, “I will guide us back.” 

Elliott nodded and took some of their weight, helping them hobble to the edge of the river. Hound just wordlessly pointed at a path, silent as ever.

__

Elliott led Hound over to the couch, making sure they were sitting down properly before he let go of them. He strode over to the fireplace, digging around in the woodpile for the poker. There were still embers in the pit, enough that it wouldn’t be too hard to get another one going. He’d never really made fires before, but he’d had to watch them do it enough times that it couldn’t be too hard to figure out. 

“Elliott, please, let me-”

“No. Sit down.”

He said it as gently as he could, while also trying to make his point known. He could hear Hound shifting behind him, trying to stand. “I said no, Hound. Sit down, you’re going to pass out if you keep pushing yourself. It’s one little fire, I can manage it.”

They opened their mouth to speak, but closed it as he started adding kindling to the embers. They quickly swallowed up the small pieces of wood, igniting a flame that cast a growing light into the cabin. He piled on a few logs and prodded at the wood until the fire took hold. He spent a second to warm up his chilled hands, letting the blood flow back into them. Once he could feel his fingers again, he stood up and walked wordlessly in the bedroom, feeling eyes on his back the whole way. He scooped up the blanket off of Hound’s bed and walked it back to them, draping it around their shoulders like a cape. Hound took the edges of it and pulled it tightly around them, looking down at their feet.

They were dripping blue fluid onto the cabin floor, and he could see a few nasty cuts from where the riverbed had chewed up one of their feet. 

“First aid kit?”

“Kitchen. On top of the stove.”

He retrieved it and walked around the couch, kneeling down by their feet. He took out a few rolls of gauze and some alcohol wipes, ripping them open and putting their left foot in his lap. “This is going to sting.”

They hissed as he started to clean up the wounds, brushing aside any small rocks stuck to the skin and doing his best to wipe away the blood. They weren’t bad enough that they’d need stitches, but they were probably going to be favoring their right side for a couple days until they started to heal properly. He knew from their punishments that split soles hurt like no other, and even though he knew this was  _ not _ the right time, the wise guy in him was tempted to crack a joke about how hopefully this would be a good taste of their own medicine. 

Once the bleeding had slowed, he took a handful of gauze and pressed it to the cuts, securing it with a bandage wound tightly around their foot and ankle to secure it. Hound looked down at him as he started tying the bandage off. “I… suppose you want an explanation.”

“We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” he said plainly, “If you can’t talk about it, or you just don’t want to, then I understand. You don’t owe me anything, Hound.” 

“Thank you, Kær.”

“Don’t mention it.” 

Elliott tied the last knot and offset it, setting their foot back on the floor. “I can leave now, if you want some time alone. I can go back to my room.” 

“No.” 

Hound scooted over to the far side of the couch, leaving him room to sit beside them. He sat down awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. Hound just leaned on his shoulder, resting their head on it and pulling the blanket around him too. “I am sorry, Elliott. I have caused you a great deal of trouble tonight.”

He laughed, trying to make light of the strangeness of the situation. “Ah, it’s okay. Not the worst birthday I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.”

“I am not sure how it can be worse than this.”

Elliott felt a smile pulling at his lips. “Oh you’d be surprised. For my twenty-third, I spent most of the time puking my guts out because I got food poisoning during the bar crawl my friends took me on. My date just left me in the bathroom of my apartment because she didn’t want to hold my hair back. I felt pretty bad for that one.” 

“That does sound pretty bad.”

“Yeah, what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s the worst birthday you’ve ever had?” 

Hound got quiet, and just leaned more into his shoulder. They felt heavy, and he could feel them shivering even under the blanket. “I… I do not know.”

“What? How do you not know?”

“I do not know when my birthday is.” 

Astonished, Elliott looked down at them, completely and totally shocked. “How can you not know when your birthday is?”

“I was never told when it was. It was not important, I guess.” 

“Wait,” he said, confused, “How do you know how old you are then?”

“I do not. It never really mattered. I measure time by the years as you do, but I never knew when to start counting them. I suspect we are close in age, but I honestly do not know.” 

Elliott took a moment to digest what Hound had just told him. How could something like that not be deemed important? Why wouldn’t their parents have told them when they were born? He racked his brain for answers, but couldn’t find any that were satisfying enough. Hound genuinely didn’t have a clue, and it saddened him greatly. What parent wouldn’t have thought something like that was important?

An idea began to brew in his head, one that was slowly beginning to overpower the sad feeling that was clinging to his heart. He didn’t know how they’d react, but he wanted to try anyway. 

“When do you  _ want _ your birthday to be?”

“Pardon? I do not think I understand.”

Elliott looked down at them, a smile reaching his eyes. “If you don’t know when your birthday is, then we’ll just pick a day for you! Any day you want, and we can celebrate it together!”

“Elliott… I-”

“It’ll be the best birthday ever,” he insisted, “I can mix a mean drink, we can hang out, chow down on some cake, it’ll be great! My mom has an amazing recipe for a caramel cake, and caramel is basically pure sugar so you’ll love it for sure!”

“Elliott, I cannot ask that of you.”

“Why not?” he scoffed.

“There is a reason I do not have one. It is a lot, to get involved with… anything in regards to me.”

“Nah, you can’t get rid of me that easy. You’re not  _ that _ scary.

“And besides,” he said, looking down at them earnestly, “I  _ want _ to know. Every part of you… or as, um, a-as much as you’d let me know.”

“You… want to know me?”

Hound couldn’t have hidden the disbelief in their voice if they tried. 

“Well, yeah, of course I do. We’ve been together for this long, and I feel like I don’t know anything about you.” 

Hound bit their lip and turned away, like they were unable to face him. “There isn’t much you need to know,” they said, “It’s not your concern, regardless.”

Elliott deflated, and he could feel Hound tense up on his shoulder. Before he could make up an excuse or try to change the subject to avoid his disappointment, Hound put their hand on his thigh. “I do not know you as well as I should either, Kær. Maybe later, when I am less tired, you can tell me a little more about you.”

“Well, what would you want to know?”

“Everything. What you like, what you fear, what things you enjoy doing. It is all important.”

“Everything? That’d take a long time, and I really don’t think I’m that interesting anyway.”

He laughed, trying to pass it off as a joke, but even he could hear how forced it sounded. Hound gave his leg a squeeze. “Do not talk about yourself in such a way. We will have much time together, so I will sit and listen for as long as you will talk to me.”

He smiled, but this time it was genuine. “Yeah, we uh, we’ll have lots of time together, yeah. I’m not going anywhere.”

He tried to look away, a desperate attempt to hide the blush rising on his cheeks. He could feel his face growing hot, and he didn’t want them to see him all flushed. Hound chuckled next to him, and he was surprised to see them smiling. “Kær, I… I am sorry. I am not laughing at you, I promise. It’s just… “

Elliott kept quiet, not wanting to say something stupid and risk them closing themself back off. “I have not spoken about myself in a long time. It is a long story, one that-”

“One that I have more than enough time to hear.”

“Elliott…”

“I told you Hound, I want to know more about you. If you can keep putting up with me, I’ll sit here all night if you want me to.”

“I would like that, I think.” 

Elliott wrapped an arm around their shoulder, happy to find that they’d finally stopped their shaking. 

“Yeah, me too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ
> 
> Hey guys. For the sake of full disclosure, I've been struggling a lot with this series lately. I still adore it and I have no plans on stopping, but the lack of any kind of feedback on the chapters is really starting to take its toll. To put it simply, it's incredibly demoralizing to see barely any comments or barely any kudos on the lessons chapters and I've been writing a lot of non-lessons content because I'm very frustrated with it. 
> 
> If I write anything that's not lessons, I get people asking for new lessons chapters, but when I post lessons chapters, there's very little feedback so I'm kinda stuck in a bad spot. There was a blackout for Apex creators recently, but I wasn't exactly welcome due to the content I write so I couldn't participate. I don't blame them or hold anything against them, but I do completely understand why other creators are so frustrated. 
> 
> SO basically, I'm asking that you guys give back a little bit. I love this series, and I know you do too, but I really want to hear more from you guys, both on this chapter and moving forward. I don't think it's too much to ask, and you have my utmost gratitude if you do. 
> 
> On a lighter note, I'm starting T in like, maybe a day or two!!! Ya boi gettin his boy juice and I'm v excited. 
> 
> Idk how y'all feel about RevHound but I LOVE IT and I have a fic idea planned so keep the peepers peeled cuz it's a good one, if I do say so myself lol. I'm a Revenant main (Well, Revenant/Bangalore, but her abilities SUCK and I'm eternally bitter they nerfed his spider walk so much) so he's my bby and I gotta give him some attention after I crushed his dick and cucked him. 
> 
> Also I've been listening to The Amazing Devil nonstop plz give them love they're amazing
> 
> Also join my discord where we talk about juicy stuff like ABO headcanons and like, various gnarly shit in the blacklist channel. Also you can play apex w me and see how much I suck. 18+ only tho https://discord.gg/xNkTyCV
> 
> Ye anyway kthnxbye


End file.
